Christchurch Professional Dog Walkers Inc exists to represent, support, and advance the professional dog-walking industry within Christchurch and the wider Canterbury region. In line with our Mission and Objects, the Society recognises the essential role professional dog walkers play in canine welfare, public safety, community wellbeing, and the responsible use of shared public spaces.

Our Members operate as trained, insured, and safety-focused professional businesses. They manage dogs in structured group environments using experience, formal risk-management systems, and welfare-first practices developed over years of professional operation. These practices are distinct from casual or recreational dog walking and are designed to prioritise canine welfare, public safety, and respectful coexistence with other users of Christchurch’s parks, reserves, beaches, forests, and urban environments.

However, current and proposed Christchurch City Council dog-control regulations do not adequately distinguish between professional dog-walking operations and casual dog walking, instead applying broad, blanket rules across all activities. This lack of distinction creates practical challenges for compliant professional operators who already meet higher standards of professional practice, insurance, safety systems, and operational accountability.

Professional dog walkers contribute positively to community wellbeing by supporting responsible dog ownership, reducing nuisance behaviours through appropriate enrichment and structured management, and maintaining safe and controlled group handling in public spaces. The services provided by professional dog walkers also support working families across Christchurch and Canterbury, ensuring dogs receive appropriate care, enrichment, and supervision when owners are unable to do so themselves.

Consistent with the Mission and Objects of Christchurch Professional Dog Walkers Inc, the Society respectfully advocates for the formal recognition of professional dog walkers and the development of a clear, transparent, and evidence-based framework for qualified commercial dog-walking operations. Such a framework should be based on demonstrable training, insurance, risk management, and welfare standards, and developed through constructive consultation with industry representatives.

This advocacy does not seek automatic exemptions or reduced compliance, but supports the development of lawful, transparent pathways that recognise professional standards within existing regulatory frameworks.

Christchurch Professional Dog Walkers Inc urges Christchurch City Council to engage collaboratively with the professional dog-walking sector to develop fair, transparent, and practicable guidelines that reflect real-world professional operations while upholding public safety, canine welfare, and responsible dog management.

By signing this petition, you support a unified, professional, and evidence-based approach that recognises the vital contribution professional dog walkers make to Christchurch’s communities, dogs, and families.